Monday, June 16, 2008

Reggie Bullock- North Carolina in his Blood

Kinston High School (NC) star guard Reggie Bullock won't be traveling all that far to get to college. The 6'5 sophomore superstar has already committed to Roy Williams' North Carolina Tar Heels. Bullock, who is regarded as one of the premiere players in the class of 2010, was at the Southern Jam Fest with his U-17 CP3 All-Stars (NC) team. Reggie and Co. were the Gold Bracket Champions. I spoke with Bullock after one of his games at the University of Virginia, where the tournament was held.

NB: What went into your decision to choose to attend North Carolina?RB: Just, [it’s] been one of my favorite schools growing up and it’s just a place like home. [It] has a good, winning record, good coaches [and] they treat you like home when you go there.

NB: Does their situation talent-wise in the two classes preceding you [with] guys like John Henson, Dexter Strickland, Larry Drew, [and] the Wear twins [Travis and David] . . . worry you at all about playing time?RB: No, it don’t worry at all. I know if I just work hard I [will] get my playing time that I usually get anywhere I usually play basketball.

NB: What were some of the other schools that you were considering?RB: Wake Forest, I was considering UCLA, Ohio St., [and] Florida.

NB: Was your plan primarily that you did want to stay in-state? Is that why North Carolina had the edge?RB: Yeah, I wanted to stay in-state close to home so my family can be able to come see me play any time basically [that] I can get them tickets. That’s why I picked [North] Carolina.

NB: What do you consider to be the strongest point of your game?RB: Rebounding, crashing the boards, getting rebounds, going back up with the shot and shooting.

NB: What have you been doing to work on that?RB: Just staying in the gym after practice working on it. . . . The players at my high school [and I are] just working on our jumpers, our pull-up jumpers off the dribble.

NB: What’s it like for you playing up in the AAU level? You’re playing with mostly juniors. Do you think that gives you . . . added motivation or added competition? What does that do for you?RB: It makes me play even harder just to get my name out there even more [with] the classes of 09 [and] 08 [to] just let them know who I am. I don’t care who I play, basically, so [I] just let them know who I am.

NB: Do you ever . . . kind of lack motivation in some ways because you’re already committed, because you already have everything setup? Do you ever kind of feel like you don’t need to work as hard?RB: No, I never think like that. I just know [that] . . . my goal is to make it to the NBA, so I know I got to work hard to be able to get there, so I never lack motivation.

NB: You [have] got CP3 on your jersey. What does it mean to you to have [an affiliation with] Chris Paul [and] play for that program, . . . having the year that he [had and being] the player that he is? What does that mean to you personally?RB: Oh, it means a lot. I know he went to Wake Forest [and] I was considering Wake Forest too, and they offered me a scholarship. . . . Chris Paul is a good dude, he [is real], very down to earth, and I just like him as a person, and I like his game too.

NB: Who would you compare your game to?RB: Kevin Durant.

NB: Why Kevin Durant?RB: That’s one of my favorite players. . . . Basically when the Texas coach came down and [asked] me if there’s anybody I take my game after, and I told him Kevin Durant is my favorite player. He said ‘he’s a good person, down to earth, willing to talk to anybody, and he just works hard in the gym.’

Reggie Bullock is on the right path right now, as he has a heck of a basketball game and a bright future at Chapel Hill ahead of him. It's clear just how good Bullock is when you look at http://www.hoopgroup.com/hoopgroup/hg_southern.php and see that he was the MVP of the U-17 tournament. That's quite an accomplishment for Reggie, especially considering that most of the players in the U-17 division were juniors. The sophomore stud is all about North Carolina, as his high school, AAU team, and future college are all in the Tar Heel State. Only time will tell how his far his time in North Carolina will take him, but if he keeps working, his talent will certainly keep him ready for whatever comes his way.